According to a new study from Northern Arizona University, eating a piece of dark chocolate may activate your brain in a way that helps increase your levels of attention.

Researchers enlisted 122 study participants (between the ages of 18 and 25). Using electroencephalography, they examined the participants' brains after eating dark chocolate, as well as their blood pressure.

They found that the people who consumed the dark chocolate (60 percent cacao) exhibited the signs of alertness and attentiveness while raising blood pressure for a short period. But they also gave some subjects dark chocolate with an amino acid that's found in things like green tea...and even though chocolate is a stimulant, the L-theanine amino acid seemed to lower blood pressure and still improve alertness.

More research is surely to be done, but...chocolate!

Thoughts? (On this very sleepy Monday, I have to say I am especially interested in any possible alertness news that's out there!)